Comm 101 - Chapter 4

The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words when enough people adopt and begin to use them. a. True b. False

a. True

When we say words are arbitrary, we mean they have no intrinsic connection to the thing they refer to. a. True b. False

a. True

Words that are far removed from what they are describing are called abstract. Words that are close to what they are describing are called concrete. a. True b. False

a. True

Owning your thoughts and feelings by using I-language offers two benefits: a. it's empowering to you and arouses less defensiveness in your partner. b. it avoids stereotyping and minimizes defensiveness. c. it helps to create shared meaning and is less abstract. d. it's less abstract and less arbitrary.

a. it's empowering to you and arouses less defensiveness in your partner.

When we say language is ambiguous, we mean that a. meanings of words are not clear-cut. b. there is a logical relationship between a word and the thing it represents. c. people sometimes have strong reactions to certain words. d. different languages use different words to mean the same thing.

a. meanings of words are not clear-cut.

You decide you no longer want to have to hang out with some of your high school friends when you're home from college, so you "unfriend" them on Facebook, hoping they will "get the message." This is an example of a. using a constitutive rule. b. using a regulative rule. c. engaging in person-centered communication. d. how language can define a relationship.

a. using a constitutive rule.

Of the terms below, which has the following definition? Shared understandings among members of a particular culture, or group, about what communication means and what behaviors are appropriate in various situations. a. Institutional facts b. Communication rules c. The ladder of abstraction d. Symbolic activities

b. Communication rules

The rules that guide our communication are learned and reinforced through careful study and formal instruction. a. True b. False

b. False

The term "reappropriation" refers to shifting the boundaries in a relationship by using more formal language. a. True b. False

b. False

There are three dimensions to relationship-level meaning: liking, responsiveness, and formality. a. True b. False

b. False

Using static evaluations is a useful way to avoid making overgeneralizations. a. True b. False

b. False

Professor Orr gives the class until the end of the semester to turn in revised homework assignments. When Juanita rushes her revisions to Professor Orr's office on the last day of final exams, she is stunned to learn she is too late. "Clearly 'the end of the semester' means the last day of classes," the professor tells her. This example shows us that a. constitutive rules are subjective. b. punctuation affects meaning. c. brute facts outweigh institutional facts. d. regulative rules affect communication.

b. punctuation affects meaning.

Because Phil has been told his new supervisor is a "control freak," he perceives her instruction to be overly picky and intrusive. This is related to which of the three characteristics of language? a. Words are arbitrary. b. Words are ambiguous. c. Words are abstract. d. All of these.

c. Words are abstract.

Susan is thinking of ending her relationship with Sandy, which makes him nervous, so he makes it a point to post numerous happy messages about Susan, and he texts her throughout the day. Susan feels crowded by this extra attention, which makes her want to avoid Sandy even more. This is an example of a. rules being shaped by culture. b. opposites attract pattern. c. demand-withdraw pattern. d. words being ambiguous and abstract.

c. demand-withdraw pattern.

The demand-withdraw pattern develops when individuals in a relationship __________ their interactions differently. a. coordinate b. interpret c. punctuate d. attribute

c. punctuate

Jhoon carefully composes his email response to Kurt's query. He chooses his words carefully, thoughtfully answers each question, and sends the response in a timely manner. Jhoon is demonstrating a. liking b. power c. responsiveness d. all of these

c. responsiveness

Before Botolph tells Helena a "blonde joke," he says to her, "I hope you won't be offended by this." In his opening phrase, Botolph is a. stereotyping. b. indexing. c. using a hedge. d. totalizing.

c. using a hedge.

Self-reflection is important to communication because it a. allows us to monitor our communication to be ethical. b. allows us to manage the image we present to others. c. allows us to choose communication behaviors that are effective. d. all of these.

d. all of these.

The ladder of abstraction shows that a. some words are more removed from what they are describing than others. b. the potential for confusion and misunderstanding grows as words become more abstract. c. we unconsciously add judgments to words as they become more abstract. d. all of these.

d. all of these.

Loaded language a. is exceptionally ambiguous and arbitrary, confusing perception. b. describes and reinforces cultural symbols, affecting shared perception. c. has an intense impact on perception, then quickly goes out of use. d. shapes and distorts perceptions to an extreme degree.

d. shapes and distorts perceptions to an extreme degree.